Roles of Elected Officials and Board Chairs in Strategic Regional Planning

Strategic Boards Toolkit This presentation is part of the strategic boards toolkit which can be found on Workforce GPS at http://bit.ly/293WHmh The resources are intended to assist WDB’s in becoming more strategic and effective. The resources will help boards at the early stages of planning, as well as those that have already implemented important WIOA-related changes and are seeking to adapt specific promising practices. All of the material is adapted from promising practices from workforce boards in the field. The toolkit was guided by an ETA task force of national and regional workforce system stakeholders.

The regional workforce system, in alignment with the state workforce system, engages and convenes all core and mandatory one- stop partners and supports the development and implementation of local one-stop policies and processes, service delivery design, infrastructure, and certification criteria.

Advancing Vision/Creating Strategy Boards Need to Take the Lead on Major Systemic Changes to develop and support a Regional Backbone*. * “Regional Backbone” refers to an organization or group of organizations that serve as the keeper of a guiding vision, and engages funders, partners, employers, and community members around that vision. This includes: Guiding partners’ collective vision and strategy Acting strategically, as well as tactically Championing major policy and aligning allocation of resources to the shared vision

Policy Implementation System Builder, Partnerships and Leveraging Resources One of the key principles of WIOA is a commitment to identify employer centric solutions through strategic partnerships and collaborative service – better aligned programs and services and complementary investment strategies across programs and agencies. This includes: Convening stakeholders to advance common goals. Aligning across partner programs, such as education and economic development. Building the capacity of all partners in the system to deliver excellent workforce services that meet the needs of their communities. Contracting for One-Stop, youth and other workforce related services. Many Workforce Boards have embraced the role of system building. Boards must build their own capacity to fulfill this role and that of their partner agencies and stakeholders.

Outcomes and Sustaining Change Grant Steward The tactical work of the board operating in oversight of the system can be supported with strategic actions such as: System planning with Partners (such as Customer Centered Design) Reporting and seeking to improve program outcomes

Appointing, Developing & Sustaining a Strategic Board Recruit the “right” members Get buy in from local elected officials Provide proper orientation & training Engage them effectively

Board Chair’s Role Lead the Board to develop a guiding Vision and Mission statement that aligns with Regional and State priorities Act as the lead strategic convener to promote and broker effective relationships between CLEO’s and economic, education, and workforce partners in the local area Work with Board members and Staff to Ensure Board meets WIOA Compliance Guidelines Lead an Executive Committee to guide the work of the Board, and ensure that Committees or Task Forces have necessary leadership to perform the work of the Board Lead the Agenda setting process for the year, and guide meetings to ensure both Tactical and Strategic work is completed in all meetings Work with other Local Board Chairs to develop a Regional Plan and Strategy for Workforce Development with aligns local to state plans.

Local Elected Official’s Role Ensure the appointment of a WIOA Compliant Local Board, consistent with the criteria established by the Governor and the State Board, for which members have “optimum policy making authority” as required Ensure that Board membership connects all key resources and stakeholders Work across local areas with other LEO’s to ensure the development of a Regional Plan for Workforce Development by the Local Boards

Board Functions Emphasized in WIOA Conduct workforce research and regional labor market analysis Career pathways development Meet the needs of employers and workers with disabilities Develop strategies for using technology to maximize the accessibility and effectiveness of the local workforce development system for employers, workers and jobseekers Coordination with education providers

Planning Responsibilities Conduct analysis of economic conditions and needed knowledge and skills in the region Convene stakeholders and leverage resources Ensure that activities meet the needs of employers and support economic growth in the region (develop industry and sector partnerships within identified Eco- Systems) Support the development and implementation of career pathways Ensure appropriate use of funds along with other program oversight responsibilities

Regional Coordination Prepare a regional plan Establish regional service strategies Develop and implement Ecosystem / Sector strategies Collect and analyze regional labor market data Establish administrative cost arrangements Negotiate and oversee regional performance goals Coordinate transportation and support services Coordinate with regional economic development

Thank you! Maher & Maher completed this project with federal funds, under contract number DOLQ131A22098 DOL-ETA-14-U-00011, from the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration. The contents of this publication do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.